Friday, April 29, 2011

Nigerian 2011 Elections: Nigeria Shocked the World




Nigeria, a land of possibilities, a land there is no impossibility. What looks impossible to the world is possible in Nigeria. Never say Nigeria cannot achieve it because you must be proven wrong.
What have they not said? They said Nigeria cannot conduct credible polls with INEC as umpire. They fear President GEJ cannot offer a free, fair and credible election with Baba beside him. Nigeria has performed well against all odd.
Will Nigeria disintegrate under 15 years?
Oakland, California, June 6, 2006: In May 2005, a couple of weeks ago, there was a report (also published on USAfricaonline.com) apparently emanated from the United States security/intelligence services warning that Nigeria, as an entity, will disintegrate along ethnic lines possibly within 15 years. This report raised a lot of furor among Nigerians, at home and in Diaspora. Whilst well meaning Nigerians are advocating a cool-headed analysis of this report, the Nigerian government and the National Assembly are inclined to dismiss the report with an orchestrated sleight of the hand. That is very unfortunate.
As usual our government, executive and the legislative branches, have once again chosen to play the ostrich. They are once again in denial. Rather than carefully review the said report and map out a strategy to prevent the doomsday prophesy contained therein, they are content with quibbling over the motivation of the United States in releasing that report. Our leaders have perfected a penchant to cry foul anytime anything negative is said about Nigeria or the direction its leaders are taking her. The important issue somehow always gets lost in the shuffle.
There is absolutely no need for the hue and cry that our politicians are raising against the United States for its prediction. Rather than preoccupy ourselves with seeking the motivation for the US releasing that report, we should direct our energies to a serious look at the impugned report and see how we can avert the predicted event. If the truth be told, the United States merely repeated what every Nigerian knows but somehow nobody is willing to broach. The US has now set the ball rolling for us. Let us get on with it. Our indignation at the United States ignores the fact that every Nigerian knows that Nigeria's corporate existence is being threatened by ethnic, religious and social class wars, albeit undeclared. Rather than attack the US for jolting us to reality, we should err on the side of caution and seriously work on our obvious problems.
It is crass irresponsibility for our government to dismiss this warning outright as if there is no genuine basis for it. The National Assembly and the Executive Branch of the Nigerian Government cannot seriously contend that Nigerian is not buckling under the weight of ethnic and religious frictions, as well as undeclared class warfare. Is this fact any less true because it came from an external source? Are we interested in substance or should we hide reality under a cloud of frivolities?
Whether or not the United States is motivated by ill will towards Nigeria in releasing that report, the fact still remains that the substance of that report resonates with every well-meaning Nigeria and brings to the fore a sickness that has for decades been crying for treatment. Nigerian may not disintegrate within 15 years are predicted but are we really willing to take that chance simply to prove the United States wrong?
Attorney Ezeife, a California based attorney, has served as a contributing editor of USAfrica and USAfricaonline.com for 9 years. He will write for CLASS magazine..

Watch and see, Nigeria always faults all these perceived empirical observations.

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